British Cycling’s national governing body has unveiled ambitious plans to get 1 million more women into the sport by the end of the decade.
At present there are thought to be 525,000 women cycling at least once a week in Britain, and 1.2 million once a month. The latter is the figure against which the new target has been set.
It is considered that numbers increased by between 10 and 15 per cent over the course of 2012, boosted by the high profile London 2012 success of stars like Victoria Pendleton and Laura Trott.
Much of the growth will come through promotion of the Breeze network of women-only leisure rides. These are organised on a local basis with assistance from the governing body and generally take the shape of a leisurely five mile cycle at the pace of the slowest rider. They are much more about social rather than competitive cycling and are intended to bring women back to a form of exercise many might have left since their own childhood.
The Breeze network was set up in 2011 after figures revealed that three times more men than women were cycling as a form of exercise. It has trained 400 local ‘Breeze Champions‘ to take rides and has encouraged over 20,000 to participate in events.
Cycling Ireland has also begun a ‘Bike for Life’ scheme, funded by the HSE and Women in Sport through the Irish Sports Council.
The Bike for Life programme teaches basic cycling skills in a local setting and is followed by a leisurely ride. It is aimed at those who want to cycle at weekends, cycle to work, or get ready for a longer ride. The course was adapted from the Fit for Life programme run through Athletics Ireland and was prompted initially by the fact that only 15 per cent of Cycling Ireland membership is female.
Recreational cycling is the first step at expanding the popularity of the sport at all levels and there is also a commitment from British Cycling towards involving more women in the administration of the sport, among officials and coaches. It has announced that three new Women board members are to be appointed.
“London 2012 marked a turning point in how women’s sport is viewed in the public eye, said Sue Tibballs, the Chief Executive of the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation. “This was in no small part due to the astonishing performances of our female cyclists. We are pleased to see British Cycling working at the grassroots and elite end of cycling to level the playing field in what has traditionally been a male-dominated sport,” shaw said in a recent interview with the Guardian newspaper.
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